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Madison County approves $1.76M in CARES CDBG funds; $500,000 earmarked for county small‑business aid
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Summary
The board approved use of $1,755,949 in FY2019 CDBG‑CV funds to support public services, business assistance, public facilities and housing; Community Development said Madison County set aside $500,000 for business assistance and received 109 county applications.
MADISON COUNTY, Ill. — The Madison County Board approved a Grants Committee resolution on Oct. 21 authorizing the distribution of $1,755,949 in CDBG‑CV funds awarded under the CARES Act for public services, assistance to businesses, public facilities, housing and administration.
The resolution directs the county’s Community Development Department to administer the program and to publish requests for proposals for public services, business assistance, housing and facilities. The county’s proposed CDBG‑CV budget listed allocations including $100,000 for Alton public services, $300,000 for Alton assistance to businesses, $225,000 for Granite City assistance and a $500,000 Madison County assistance to businesses allocation within the county’s own program share; $351,190 was set aside for administration.
During the meeting County Board member Tom McRae asked specifically how the Madison County assistance would work. Community Development Administrator Trudy Bodenbach said Madison County received 109 business applications (1700 when including Alton and Granite City). Applicants could request $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 depending on staffing, and "anything that they can prove that they had a hardship related to COVID" qualified — funds could be used for rent, payroll or other COVID‑related expenses, she said.
The board approved the resolution by roll call (ayes 26, nays 0).
Why it matters: The CDBG‑CV allocations direct federal CARES Act relief to low‑ and moderate‑income persons and small businesses affected by the pandemic. The county’s allocation for direct business assistance is an immediate resource for struggling local employers and will be administered on a first‑come/eligibility basis per the resolution.
What happens next: Community Development will continue eligibility screening and award funding according to the published RFPs and program rules; county officials said they would return to the board with implementation details and award notices.